Terex Corp. held a progressive dinner on the golf course at The Boulders during a four-day meeting. Courtesy of Debbie Pompa

As the chill of winter settles over most of the U.S., one state can be counted on to be enjoying milder months and outdoor environments at their peak. An enviable blend of city, desert and mountain settings, Mexican and Native American cultures, and iconic sights ranging from the Grand Canyon to Monument Valley, Arizona offers a surprisingly exotic backdrop for memorable meetings.

“There’s the uniqueness of the landscape,” suggested Scott Winegar, president and co-owner of Boise-based corporate event planner, TMN Events. “For two thirds of the year, the weather in Arizona is fantastic. Then there’s the natural beauty of the scenery and different types of cacti.  If you’re not from the southwest and you haven’t been, it’s pretty cool to see for the first time.”

Winegar was recommending locations for Lamb Weston, Idaho’s leading supplier of frozen potato and other products to restaurants and retailers.  The world’s second largest potato producer was seeking a destination for its annual leadership meeting and Winegar felt it was time for them to take a look at Arizona, with Tucson in mind.

“My client has family in Phoenix, and when she got to Tucson she said, ‘I had no idea, I was just expecting a smaller Phoenix,’” said Winegar, who noted that he is personally drawn to how different Tucson is from Phoenix.

This would be the fifth meeting Winegar has handled for Lamb Weston, and a majority of the attendees come from the Pacific Northwest. But about a third of the attendees arrive from other U.S. cities and about 25 come in from overseas, so air service was a factor.

“There’s not a lot of direct flights, much less from around the world, but overall, the city is good for a mid-sized meeting. The fact that not many of the attendees had ever been also had something to do with the selection.”

Final deciding point: Loews. “Lamb Weston likes the brand, and cost was definitely a factor — the Loews Ventana Canyon is quite affordable,” explained Winegar. The 398-room resort is built to host events, with 37,000 sf of indoor meeting space plus almost 40,000 sf outdoors.  The resort also offers a full-service spa, two Tom Fazio-designed PGA golf courses, and lighted tennis and pickleball courts.  Winegar said the group has a large executive leadership team, so at least 15 suites were required, which Loews could provide.

“The client likes to keep people on-property but to provide different experiences and the Loews allows for the feeling that you’re at a remote resort. This group also requires a pretty big footprint for their meeting space,” added Winegar.  “They like to do a huge stage, with seating in crescent rounds, and the 10,800-sf Kiva ballroom gave them the perfect amount of space.  A lot of hotels are sensitive to the amount of meeting space they give you based on the room block, but Loews Ventana Canyon was very flexible on this.”

Winegar also noted the F&B team received high marks on a post-convention survey.  “This client wants to showcase their product, so they had potato products from Lamb Weston served at every meal, prepared in specific and creative ways.”

The group, totaling 240 attendees, stuck mostly to the property for activities and meals, but he leaned on Visit Tucson to vet DMCs, which in turn helped source local tchotchkes, such as light-up cacti used as centerpieces for one evening.  Some attendees broke off in smaller groups for dining and TopGolf nearby.

“Tucson is a gem,” said Winegar. “It’s unique, and most people haven’t spent time there, so it has a surprise factor — it shows really well.”

As the pandemic eased, Tucson saw a fleet of improvements and additions of interest to meeting planners, including a $65 million expansion and renovation project at the Tucson Convention Center, completed in late 2022.  The project included a face lift for the center’s 89,760-sf exhibit halls, renovation of the 20,164-sf ballroom, updating the Leo Rich Theater and the Linda Ronstadt Music Hall, and adding 32,000 sf of meetings rooms, restrooms and lobbies.

Tucson’s tallest downtown skyscraper and most iconic building was transformed into The Leo Kent Hotel, Tucson, a 150-room boutique hotel that opened last May.  Located an easy walk from the convention center, the Marriott Tribute Portfolio property spans nine of the tower’s 23 floors and draws upon the unique location in Tucson in its design, culinary and group offerings, and offers 1,400 sf of meeting space.

The 575-room JW Marriott Tucson Starr Pass Resort is the city’s largest hotel, located in the foothills overlooking Tucson, yet just six miles from downtown, 12 miles from the airport.  The property has 80,768 sf of event space, including a 19,836-sf ballroom, while other features include 27 holes of championship golf at the Starr Pass Golf Club and a 20,000-sf full-service spa.  Hiking trails lead right from the porte cochere into the spectacular, saguaro cactus-dotted scenery of Tucson Mountain Park.

With 54,870 sf of indoor event space, El Conquistador, Tucson, a Hilton Resort offers two 12,000-sf ballrooms, plus breakout rooms and ample outdoor lawn areas for casual gatherings. The resort recently unveiled a multi-million-dollar amenity, SpaWell.  The facility features a salt therapy room, pool deck accentuating the resort’s mountainous backdrop.

The Phoenix-Scottsdale metropolitan area is home to more than two-thirds of Arizona’s population, and holds the bulk of the state’s meeting space.  Julie Wong, CMP, president and owner of Phoenix-based The Event Concierge, which handles corporate meetings, said Phoenix-Scottsdale has carved its niche by catering to a wide range of meeting budgets.

“It’s not just high-end expensive hotels,” suggested Wong of the side-by-side cities.  “Value-wise, we’re close to Vegas, but you get a little more bang for your buck here.”

High season is mid-January through March. But she’s been able to find affordability even at high-end hotels the second week in January, the third week in April, or in October.

A question Wong sometimes receives is to define the difference between Phoenix and Scottsdale. “Only if you’re a local do you know that they’re separate cities,” said Wong.  “Scottsdale offers some of the larger resorts — places with a golf course and a spread-out conference center. In Phoenix, the business hotels have a smaller, more compact footprint.  Otherwise, there’s not much difference, and there’s not a big gap in pricing.”

Meeting planners using Phoenix-Scottsdale can lean into culture and diversity, an increasingly important component for many companies. “There are a lot of ways to incorporate DEI into a meeting, such as at a dining event,” Wong explained. “The Heard Museum is focused on Native American culture.”

The museum’s Spanish Market — Mercado de las Artes — has strolling mariachis and features artwork by 65 Hispanic artists from Arizona and New Mexico. “There’s the Musical Instrument Museum, and venues like the Wrigley Mansion connected to the chewing gum magnate, or you can do an event at Taliesin West, architect Frank Lloyd Wright’s winter home.”

Meeting planners can tap into the destination’s Frank Lloyd Wright connection at the Arizona Biltmore, a Waldorf-Astoria Resort, which reopened in 2021 following a 15-month renovation.  The 705-room hotel’s acclaimed, nearly 100-year-old architecture and design — by Wright and Albert Chase McArthur — was left intact, with guest rooms treated to a muted motif of earth tones, stucco walls and wood accents.

New F&B options were added, the Paradise Pool area was refreshed, and gold leaf has returned to the historic Gold Room, part of the hotel’s 200,000 sf of indoor and outdoor meeting space, which includes the 24,576-square-foot Frank Lloyd Wright Ballroom.

Sheraton Phoenix Downtown is Arizona’s largest hotel. The 1,000-room property, just steps from the Phoenix Convention Center, features over 110,000 sf of flexible meeting space and was at the forefront of the 446-flag Sheraton brand’s $1 billion investment to refresh its guest experience, particularly in public spaces. In the 19,000-sf lobby, a community table encourages guests to mix and mingle as they work and relax.  The hotel’s F&B offering was upgraded with grab-and-go options, rooms have been overhauled, the fitness center received an $850,000 remodel, and the Sheraton Club Lounge has been relocated to the lobby area, and updated.

Straddling both Phoenix and Scottsdale, The Phoenician, part of Marriott’s Luxury Collection, is another property seeing upgrades to its meeting facilities. The resort completed a renovation, allowing Joanie Seehof, a senior program manager with Elevate IME, to call The Phoenician a “very shiny penny,” in anticipation of her five-night incentive program.

“The quality of The Phoenician was a step up from other hotels I looked at,” Seehof explained.  “We looked at a lot of different hotels — The Phoenician is luxury, clean, spacious and located a mile or so from Old Town. The group likes getting off property so the location was important.”

Seehof was in Arizona scouting locations for a Minneapolis-based manufacturing company, with many of the 100 sales reps coming in from the Middle East, Northern Africa and Europe, meaning international airlift would be essential.

“I was looking for sunshine, and the company’s president thought they’d enjoy the U.S. or Caribbean. We felt Scottsdale was a better fit than other cities in Arizona — it’s less city-ish; it feels more southwestern.”

The program will include a welcome dinner, an awards dinner and a tasting tour in downtown Scottsdale.  “We’ll be doing two days of offsite activities, with options including a hot air balloon, a river float, horseback ride, a jeep tour and a dine-around one night, with another night at leisure.”

The Phoenician features more than 160,000 sf of indoor and outdoor meeting space, which are also getting a renovation.  Last summer, the Camelback Ballroom, foyers and the first-floor breakout rooms and hallways were refreshed in a style paying tribute to the native Sonoran culture and history.

The two-phase project will be completed this summer when the interiors of The Phoenician Grand Ballroom and the Estrella Ballroom, as well as upper-level breakout rooms and hallways, receive their facelift.

When considering Phoenix-Scottsdale, planners can look beyond the city core for new and interesting locations. In the neighboring suburb of Tempe, just 10 minutes east of Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, the $125 million Omni Tempe Hotel at ASU opened last year, bringing some of the largest conference and meeting space to Tempe’s revitalized downtown area.

The ADERO Scottsdale Resort, a member of Marriott’s Autograph Collection, is set high on a ridgeline with sweeping views of the Four Peaks and McDowell Mountain Range. The six-story, 177-room property is decidedly off the beaten path, but offers a retreat-like atmosphere, with 20,151 sf of indoor and outdoor meeting space.  The resort can be used as a basecamp for adventurous types, with direct access to private trailheads accessing the desert.

A certified Arizona classic, The Boulders Resort & Spa is equally remote. Debbie Pompa, executive assistant with Genie, a company owned by Terex Corp, a Seattle-based manufacturer of lifting and material-handling equipment, said despite its seclusion the resort is easy to get to.

“It’s 31 miles from Phoenix Sky Harbor airport, but once there you really don’t need to leave.” Boasting a true desert setting amid a jumble of ancient giant boulders, the resort has two serene golf courses winding between cacti and adobe-style casitas, where the 220 accommodations are found. Last fall, the company invited 117 to attend a four-day meeting at The Boulders. “When I got onto the property, I was sold,” said Pompa. “It is an amazing, beautiful, almost magical, place.  The rooms are spacious and elegantly decorated in Southwest furnishing, with a fireplace.”

The resort is on 1,300 acres, all beautifully landscaped, added Pompa, who noted that golf was an important component for the gathering, either on-site or within walking distance. The Boulders features 50,000 sf of indoor and outdoor meeting space, including the 5,600-sf Latilla Ballroom.

The Caesars Republic Scottsdale is set to debut soon, marking the first non-gaming hotel for Caesars Entertainment Corporation in the U.S. The 11-story glass structure will house 265 rooms, a bar and coffee shop, two signature restaurants from Chef Giada De Laurentiis, an elevated pool and restaurant, SEVEN on the seventh floor, and a fitness center. The hotel’s high-end conference center features a 7,000-sf ballroom with customizable LED lighting and cutting-edge sound, internet and AV systems. Sliding glass doors open out onto a 7,000-sf adjacent lawn, suitable for outdoor events for up to 600 people.

For event planners looking to provide their attendees with an elevated experience, Arizona is hot. From sights and sounds, archeological wonders, southern hospitality and cross-cultural amazing eats in unassuming places, it is the perfect backdrop with wide open spaces.  C&IT

An outside production company may take care of audio, video, rigging, design, logistical support, scenic services and more. Photos courtesy of Heather Franse, PRG

Weighing the benefits and drawbacks of using an in-house AV team for meetings or corporate events versus choosing an outside production company revolves around a host of factors — from cost considerations to the skill level of the AV team.

The decision depends on variables of the meeting itself, such as the production level needed, the location of the meeting or event and the rules and regulations of the venue being used.

“The rule of thumb is it’s really dependent on the scale and size of what’s being requested,” said Heather Franse, production director on the business development team for corporate events at PRG (Production Resource Group).

“A lot of times with the in-house AV partners, they can provide up to a certain level of support with monitors and audio. But once you’re looking to do anything that’s high-level technical, something that has a lot of connectivity, something that has a very large scale to it, that’s the time in which you want to start really looking to partner early on with an external company.”

Robyn Davis, president, SITE Southeast, also bases her decision by the size of the meeting. “Usually with the small ones, we might just need a screen or projector, or a microphone, so it makes more sense to use the in-house AV. It used to be that the rule of thumb was to go in-house for the larger meetings too, but in the past few years, I’ve personally have found that I am more apt to go outside of the in-house for the larger ones.”

The Benefits of In-House

Hotel contracts often favor working with the in-house AV team, which can make choosing an outside company the pricier option. According to Kate McCarthy director of Global Events at Datadog, some hotels add fees for items such as power, internet and room rental that make the choice cost prohibitive.

“There is language now that says that if you bring in an outside company, you need to pay this fee for data, for example. Ten years ago, you really didn’t see that as much but now, more and more, the standard contracts that you’re seeing from these venues are inclusive of those kinds of clauses. As a meeting planner, you’re like, is it worth it?”

McCarthy will choose the in-house option under certain conditions. “A lot of times it’s easier just to play the game and go in with the in-house if I feel like they’re qualified and if they’ve got the standard equipment. If the people that I’m talking to on staff know what they’re talking about and if I feel like I’m getting the attention that I need, if the service level is there, I’m not going to have concerns.”

McCarthy also noted, “An in-house team has an advantage because they can move in for you overnight versus if I’m bringing them in from outside — they’re going to only get my space when it’s contracted at 10 a.m.. If I use the in-house, they’re going to get in the night before at 8 p.m. when the previous group moves out, so there’s a huge advantage to doing it that way.”

There are other benefits to choosing the in-house option. In general, an in-house AV team will have a greater knowledge about the venue and be able to work more seamlessly with the hotel catering and other aspects of the meeting space. McCarthy said, “I think the driving decision is often the venue itself. If it’s an old venue, if it’s a special venue, if it’s something where they have an in-house that is intimately familiar with the ins and outs of that venue, you want to go with that in-house because they’re going to have some insights into the quirkiness of, say, an older venue.”

Since outside AV companies do not work exclusively with one property, their venue knowledge may be lacking depending on where the event is taking place, which means the convenience of using the in-house team may make it the better choice for some planners.

“With an in-house, you do have the familiarity of the venue or hotel and then the space. You’re required to use them for internet and for power drop and rigging as well, so you have a relationship with them already,” said Sean Lynch, president, NHS Global Events, which works with some 100 corporate and association clients. “One of the pluses would also typically be much more access to additional on-demand equipment, where with an external provider, if they didn’t load it on the truck, they don’t have it.”

Davis emphasized that planners need to look at the line items hotels or venues require if they bring in outside AV teams, especially for groups on a smaller budget. “A lot of people forget when they’re budgeting that if you bring an out of house company in, they’re having to pay for the power through the house, so you have to make sure that you budget for that. Some hotels don’t let you plug in your own power strips or extension cords.” She recalled a group she worked with last year where the hotel agreed she could bring an AV partner on site, with the stipulation they would charge $10,000 for the internet. “When that happened, my client said, ‘it’s not worth it,’ and we used their in-house AV.”

Davis also said that some hotels require that planners pay for a person with the in-house AV company who is going to oversee the out of house AV company to make sure that they are following all the rules and regulations of the hotel. Union hotels are specifically a challenge, according to Davis. She suggested planners always ask in the site selection process whether the property is a union hotel and what that might mean as far as the rules around the production for events.

Lynch believes equipment prices are negotiable with venues, but labor costs depend on whether it’s a union or non-union location. He noted that union labor would have to be present for load in, load out and setup, which would add to the cost of bringing in an external AV provider.  “If you’re in a union property and you’re going to have an external provider, you have shadow labor, so you are already adding to your cost. That external provider may already be more expensive because of that shadow labor.”

Franse at PRG posed that there is an opportunity for meeting planners to negotiate some of the extra costs upfront. “For someone who’s just bringing a meeting together and finding a venue, it’s something that you should be thinking about and discussing upfront with the venue and seeing where there may be some wiggle room or where their exceptions may lay. If they really can’t provide what is being asked, then there’s sometimes a little bit of flexibility with what they’re willing to allow for.”

Outside Production Company Strengths

The benefits of hiring an outside provider are varied, including more flexibility with their pricing, and they can offer access to a larger assortment of equipment and technology.

The reasons Davis cites for hiring an outside company include pricing. Davis has found that with in-house AV teams, there can be a lot of hidden costs. “To give you a perfect example, say the client decides last minute that they want a microphone in their meal room to make announcements and it wasn’t contracted with the in-house. They’re charging, even if you have one in your ballroom, they’re charging you for that microphone. Whereas when I bring an AV partner on site, they’re storing all their materials within a storage room that I’ve contracted with the hotel. They just run in and grab one for me because we’ve already paid for it.”

Outside AV companies also tend to have a deeper knowledge of a corporation’s needs, especially if they have an ongoing relationship of working the same event in different locations year after year. Knowing what pre-production and on-site tech is needed for those events can end up saving a planner time and money.

Franse said PRG can bring deep knowledge of an event to multiple locations. “If your event happens year over year, but it’s not in the same location year over year, we can take that experience to a new venue that is new to you, but it’s not going to be a new venue to us. We have both the experience of whatever the event was in the previous year at a different location plus the experience of working in that new venue because we’ve worked inside that venue with other productions and events.”

Lynch said one factor is whether a corporation will be replicating a regional or roadshow event in various locations. “Then your show producer is going to continue to build on the best practice from one event to the second to the third or fourth. If you’re dealing with an in house show producer or technical producer, they’re just doing one event and they didn’t learn from the first one on how to make the second one better.”

Davis concurred, “When you’re with a preferred partner, you’re able to say, ‘Hey, this is very similar to the one that we did last January for another client. Can you give me the same pricing?’ That budgeting tactic has helped her win meeting business. “

Davis offered an example of the benefits of that partnership.  “I had the same AV company that I love to partner with last year. We pieced together a karaoke night for a group without using a karaoke DJ. The attendees all put on their registration what their favorite Spotify songs were. And then this AV partner at no extra cost, built a Spotify list for us based on that report that I was able to provide them and then came up with a back-end way to create a karaoke experience for the group. We didn’t get charged extra for it. I don’t think an in house ever would have done that.”

Another question is whether an in-house team will have multiple meetings and events they are working at the hotel or venue and whether that team will be dedicated to the planner’s event. A professional outsourced team can devote its time and energy exclusively to one meeting or event.

McCarthy added, “You don’t have that relationship with the in-house hotel that you can have with a preferred production partner. I have a partnership with a local production company that I love, and they give my clients more of a personal touch — more personal attention. They get on calls with them, they get to know them.”

For example, when McCarthy worked with Amazon, she used a production company that traveled with her around the world. “I was rinsing and repeating the same show around the world. So, having the producers travel with me and be able to go into a space and recreate something, that was ensuring to that audience and it was having a consistent message and a consistent experience.”

There is also the benefit of an outside production company having a relationship with the top executives of a company hosting the event. Lynch said, “It’s really the general session for a trade show. Whether you’re the chief marketing officer or the president or whatever your seat on the panel is, you want to look good on stage. Who’s producing the show that they trust? That’s where the in-house providers have more of a barrier because they don’t know that end user well in advance. An in-house provider does not have a relationship with the CEO where the show producers have done three years in a row together with that CEO, so the CEO and the team will look like a million dollars on stage.”

Franse advised to partner with an AV team early in the planning process and build the relationship. “Get a partnership early on to see what the pros and cons are of the events and the design and the location of the venue. We can do a little bit more of that front-end and with pre-production hand holding to get to a place where you’re not having a hectic installation. That’s a really big benefit.”

There is no clear-cut winner here. And while the edge looks like it goes to the outsourced AV production firm, that’s not always the case. In the end, you need a good AV partner for your event. Someone you can truly count on. Essentially, they become an extension of your staff and enable you to focus your attention on your job. C&IT

Employers are turning to face to face experiences to engage and develop their teams. Courtesy of Stephanie Harris / Incentive Research Foundation

As we closed the door on 2023, meeting and event planners looked back — and forward — at their industry. While no one can predict the future of meetings, planners’ focus is on making better meetings matter. On venues designed for the digital age with state-of-the-art technology that provide seamless integration for various tools. On looking closely at the latest trends in travel, hospitality and the business of meetings. And that, of course, includes budgets that are out of sync with real costs and the repercussions of widespread staffing shortages, which are among the top issues planners face.

From a planner’s perspective, 2024 still looks positive, even though budgeting continues to be an unresolved problem — and the number one most challenging aspect of event planning.

“We’re paying more and getting less for what we’re paying for. Everything related to a meeting is more expensive,” said Julie S. Nack Locke, CMM, CMP, regional vice president with HelmsBriscoe. “Demand is high, and negotiating is tougher than ever. Concessions are less than they use to be and most of the time we’re seeing room rental that is minimally negotiable.”

AV costs are astronomical and unaffordable, according to Locke, who negotiates for groups to bring in outside AV and bid it out. Most of the time, outside AV companies are 30% less even while paying a liaison fee to bring them in.

Unfortunately, it’s not just a matter of the higher prices. Locke said some organizations are ill prepared to meet these costs, as they haven’t budgeted properly and can’t afford what’s out there.

Although not new, staff shortages continue to affect meetings, attendees and planners. “Service has gone downhill in many properties because of staff challenges or staff from outside the industry who don’t understand customer service and what hospitality actually means,” Locke said. “Hotel owners want more profit, so costs keep rising and demand on staff keeps increasing.” Still, Locke said, 2023 was a good year. “I’ve been busy; meetings came back fast and furious post Covid. People need to see each other and have human connection.”

That said, she believes the work of planning has changed, in part due to repercussions of staffing problems. In addition to lack of experience and training in the industry, Locke noted, “Many don’t have autonomy and can’t make decisions without their managers and sometimes even without ownership involvement.”

These issues create roadblocks in the planning process, and Locke believes they threaten the industry in multiple ways. She sees staff training as key. “Organizations need to focus on training, otherwise our incredible industry is going to lose the impact of true hospitality. For example, on Sept 30, I got two demands from hotels that if the group didn’t sign that day the rate would increase, and they’d lose their concessions. In 22 years, I’ve never seen that behavior or ultimatum.”

The actions of some hotels, she continued, are driving clients away. “A client recently was charged $72+ (about $100 pp) for breakfast. I asked the sales manager if he was going to serve diamonds on the side. It doesn’t make sense for anyone to serve $100 eggs and toast.  The group will never return to that hotel and their offices are next door.”

As for what companies and corporate executives can do to improve things, Locke suggests they look at the bigger economic picture so they can create realistic budgets. “Prices in supermarkets have increased and thus F&B at hotels has also increased. Gas prices and trucking costs have increased, which causes almost everything to be more expensive. And staff costs have increased as unions demand more for employees, which also causes a rise in pricing.”

Finally, Locke noted that political topics impact meetings as well, particularly meeting destinations. “Politics definitely affect some of my groups because of women’s rights, abortion, LGBTQ rights and other political issues. Right now, I have three groups that have told me I cannot consider certain states for future meetings.”

Susan Adams, vice president of engagement strategy & corporate services with Next Level Performance, works with incentives and sees many of the same issues, but overall believes things are stabilizing.

“After the dramatic drop in group travel during the height of the pandemic, and the subsequent explosive return in demand, we’re beginning to see the market stabilize. The times of limited travel seem to have cemented the understanding that face-to-face meetings and experiences are important to organizations, and inquiries and bookings are still very brisk.”

Adams, who became chair of the Incentive Research Foundation (IRF) this month, noted that the recent Incentive Travel Index Survey by the IRF and SITE Foundation showed that incentive travel buyers expect activity and spend to rise for the next two years.

“While staffing is still a challenge in many corners of the industry,” she said, “new hires are beginning to be more established in their roles and overall satisfaction in service seems to be improving. Now that we’re two years past the initial reopening for business, clients and planners expect the guest and planner experience to be at the same level as pre-pandemic. However, service levels remain the second most concerning issue facing planners today, according to the IRF’s Incentive Travel Programs — Expectations and Challenges study.”

Adams believes the combined effect of high demand, a need to attract more qualified staff and inflation has significantly increased costs. “This puts pressure on every partner in the supply chain, as well as on clients, as they forecast for the future are faced with absorbing unexpected expenses now.”

Like Locke, Adams said 2023 was a good year. “It’s been a robust and successful year for incentive travel. We work with clients across many industries. Consistently, they’ve prioritized connecting with employees and customers this year. This may be in part due to an increasingly remote and/or hybrid workforce. But taking time to share experiences, network and engage is a successful strategy to achieve goals and strengthen all-important relationships.”

Most incentive programs for 2024 are already set, but things may change as we go into 2025. For 2024, we’re seeing continued increase in demand for international programs, most notably in Western Europe and Asia.

“Many clients are finding international destinations not only highly desirable for program audiences but also cost effective because of currency exchange or the local economy,” Adams explained.

As he noted, we live in volatile times and that probably means change is likely. With a 2024 general election, high costs for air and ground services and an economy that benefits some industries and challenges others, there’s a good deal of instability. “Add to that global unrest due to conflicts in other regions and we can expect surprises. If conflicts continue, I anticipate greater interest in domestic destinations in 2025 and beyond.”

Despite the volatility, Adams said, “Senior leaders are showing commitment to finding time to gather, deliver the message of the organization, recognize and reward partners and deepen connections.”

Even in the best of times, Adams calls planning challenging work. “Balancing the art of the guest experience, the goals of the program owners and maintaining careful control over budgets — particularly in a time of inflation — requires great skill and dedication. But in the past few years, the pandemic created unique obstacles to program delivery that are just now beginning to fade. As staffing levels increase and services are more predictable, planners can rely on partners such as DMCs and CVBs to collaborate on successful programs.”

Yet new expectations have also emerged, Adams noted, including an increased focus on branding and sponsorship dynamics at incentive programs. “Marketing and communications teams have a greater role to play in communicating using new technologies. Additionally, many clients are integrating their travel and non-travel rewards programs to be more cohesive and more naturally carve a path for employees or customers as they navigate toward achievements.”

When asked what industry leaders can do to improve the industry and the work of planners, Adams said, “Leaders must always be on the lookout for ways to provide better options, more efficiently and with accuracy. For example, industry leaders must provide the tools and resources needed for planners to deliver the best programs.”

She gives examples such as a DMC that can provide quick turnaround and creative event ideas no one has seen before, or a technology company with a new activation that makes it more fun for attendees to receive information at an event.

Additionally, she said, “We’d love to see more involvement from leaders in the airline industry. From corporate to incentive travel, business travel has a great role to play in the future of the travel industry as a whole. A more effective partnership in delivering a guest experience seamlessly from the moment the guest leaves their home city until they return would be most welcome. Air lift is often a deciding factor in choosing destinations, so having a good handle on existing flights and any plans to further develop capacity on a specific route is important to us and our clients. Airlines have had their hands full with recovery and rebuild, and we hope to find ways to work collaboratively going forward.”

The C-suite has a part to play, too. “As we move into 2025 and beyond, we look forward to discussions around evolving budgets reflecting the marketplace,” Adams said. “We also recommend committing to 2025 and 2026 programs soon if they have not already been scheduled. In many of the most desirable destinations, ideal dates continue to be in high demand. Being able to secure space and any special venues or activities early will go a long way toward controlling spend and reducing risk.”

Taya Paige, CMM, CIS, DES, HMCC, strategic advisor with ITA Group, said 2023 was a strong year but cautions that much in the industry has changed.

“Events came roaring back in 2023. There were more programs operated than ever before at ITA and it seemed everyone was making up for nearly two years of ‘pivoting’ due to Covid. As part of the comeback, however, attendee values changed. They want to feel emotionally connected to a brand and expect more immersive, participatory and authentic event experiences to make attending worth their time.”

With that change in attitudes, Paige added, “comes increased pressure for events to be ‘reimagined’ and more aligned with marketing objectives and attendee needs. With rising costs and labor shortages still impacting operations and budgets, purposeful, attendee-driven experiences and investment in the right places are necessary for events to stay competitive and attract attendees.”

Budgets are an unresolved problem. Inflation, the continuation of leisure travel’s impact on air and room rates, and “a transition of industry knowledge” resulting from the outflow of experienced workers during the pandemic and new people coming in without deep experience, all play a part. How organizations view themselves and their events in the context of the larger world also matters in terms of sustainability, diversity and inclusion, which can also impact budgets.

“Brands are challenged with having a more nuanced understanding of not only their impact on the environment, but also larger issues related to societal impact and diversity and inclusion (ESG and DEI). Moving from promises to action starts with all of us — clients holding event agencies responsible and event agencies holding supplier partners accountable. Developing strong action plans with supplier partners is critical for ensuring that high-level goals are met with on-the-ground action. This requires thinking about having the right measurement and reporting in place to show the impact.”

In terms of how the actual work of planning has evolved, Paige pointed to shorter windows and delayed decisions. “Planning timeframes have been condensed for some time and important decisions have been delayed, which only adds to the issue. Being able to source and get driving decisions made earlier would make the work much smoother. We’re starting to see that shift in 2025, but the issue remains for many programs/clients this year. It will just take time to get out of the cycle.”

The planner’s job has expanded. “We’re increasingly involved in the overall strategy and end-to-end planning, including content design, engaging learning and development (pre-, during and post-event), hybrid attendee engagement, experiential production and overall run-of-show.”

Embracing change, she added, is a crucial step in the process, as they have so much data to work with now to personalize the experience for attendees.

“We must lean into this data and leverage it wherever possible, but also be sure we don’t lose gut instinct. We should be afraid to not make changes,” she said. “Let’s be honest, it’s more fun to play and try things that are different, which makes for a more amazing journey for your attendees year after year.”

The solution to many industry issues, Paige believes, is purposeful collaboration and communication. “There’s a common desire for open lines of communication, reciprocity and a mutual understanding that we’re striving for the same goal. Understanding how we can all work together and the complexity we all face at a personal, human level will help us meet these challenges. Having strong, reliable partnerships with DMCs, hotels and security teams is critical for successful programs.”

Stephanie Harris, president of the Incentive Research Foundation, said the industry continues to see strong performance even as post-pandemic volume pushes start to level out. The demands of a changing workforce, both working from home and a generational shift, are creating more and more need for meetings and incentives.

“As employers look to engage and develop their teams, they’re continuing to turn to face-to-face experiences, which are driving current volume. An increase in volume is predicted in most sectors into 2025,” said Harris.

This as a year in which organizations shift destination choices. “There’s a strong drive within organizations to utilize destinations that are new to their group. For U.S. buyers, destinations like the Caribbean and Western Europe are higher in the consideration set than a year ago. We’re also seeing U.S. buyers look at Canada as an opportunity to experience a new destination or new type of program while remaining close to home and taking advantage of a strong dollar in a challenging economy.”

Harris sees rising costs coupled with a seller’s market continuing into 2025, meaning hard choices must still be made about program destinations, length, attendee numbers and other elements. The goal, however, remains the same: ensuring a great experience for participants that makes attending the program worth their time and money.

“The economy is incredibly challenging,” said Harris. “Program owners faced with budget challenges may do well to step back and look at the qualifying criteria for their incentives. Are there opportunities to make the programs self-funding? Are there opportunities to change the thresholds? This is a delicate area as it’s important not to alienate potential incentive earners.” The good news, Harris said, is, “While C-suites are familiar with rising costs, they also see the need to bring their people together. And when it comes to incentives, the people earning them are the very people you need to retain and keep engaged.”

Like Paige, Harris believes better communication is critical. “Across the industry there’s a sense that relationships between buyers and sellers are more challenging and complex than they’ve been historically. Whether related to speed of RFP or availability of responses, budget challenges or service-level challenges, the biggest gap is often communication. In a high-volume landscape, people often don’t take the time to understand what the other side is saying or asking for and instead work on assumptions. Both buyers and sellers want more clarity throughout the process. That time investment can make a tremendous difference during program operation.”

Budgets, staffing, volatility, partnerships, communication — these are the watchwords in the industry today and it seems for at least another year as well. Yet in spite of ongoing challenges, the planners’ perspective is clear: the meetings of the future will be about breaking down barriers and meeting people where they are, in the ways they want.  C&IT

Hailed as the world’s leading business strategist, award-winning expert witness, strategic consultant and professional speaker Scott Steinberg is among today’s best-known trends experts and futurists, and the bestselling author of “Think Like a Futurist;” “Make Change Work for You: 10 Ways to Future-Proof Yourself, Fearlessly Innovate, and Succeed Despite Uncertainty” and “Fast >> Forward: How to Turbo-Charge Business, Sales, and Career Growth.” The president and CEO of BIZDEV: The International Association for Business Development and Strategic Partnerships, his website is FuturistsSpeakers.com.

It’s no secret that in a fast-changing business world, as both MICE industry leaders and meeting and event planners, we’ve got to stay on top of changes that are happening in the industry. At the same time, when it comes to future-proofing our organizations, it’s also important to strive to better understand and stay on top of what challenges and opportunities our staffers are facing on an ongoing basis. Then, steadily work to equip them with more insight, information and chances to come together to address them at every turn.

As challenging as adapting to a multitude of new shifts that we’re facing on all fronts may seem at first blush though, as a futurist and management consultant, I often remind audiences that adapting to an uncertain future doesn’t have to be as time-consuming, difficult or costly as you may think. Rather, it simply requires us to ask smarter questions — and apply a little bit more critical thinking.

For example, we often hear about topics like artificial intelligence (AI), automation and machine learning. But in addition to understanding what this technology does and who can provide it, it’s even more important as an executive leader to understand how we can effectively implement these tools in our organization, where they’re best applied, and why we’d want to make these investments.

Thankfully, as we note in recent board game The Future is Yours (which teaches players how to scenario plan and more effectively strategize for the future), as fast as the future is now coming on, the road ahead in business is not all that hard to predict when you simply take a few moments to project your thoughts forward and think a few steps ahead.

Noting this, it helps to ask some pointed questions that can shape your future thinking. As we look to the next few years of business, a few points that you might consider here, for example, could include as follows:

• Artificial intelligence and automation are real, they’re here, and they’ll only play a growing role in the future. In fact, like water and gas, you may soon be able to turn them on and off as needed like any other utility. Noting this: How might these developments impact the shape of strategic planning, research, services, back-office management, workflows and more going forward?
• In a world of growing remote work and distance collaboration, where schedules, working setups and work hours will differ by individual, it will only become more challenging to secure time on others’ schedules and build meaningful relationships with them. What will this mean for the way that you manage relationships with key customers, vendors and partners going forward — and how might it impact the practice of event management?
• Working professionals are increasingly distracted, and it’s becoming harder to capture and hold their attention, creating heightened demand for all things new and novel — thus rendering anything nondescript or undifferentiated easily overlooked or skippable. What will this mean for the shape of your training, professional development and continuing education efforts in coming months and years?
• Employees are increasingly putting a dual-pronged, heightened emphasis on (1) work-life balance and (2) learning, growth, mentorship and career advancement. In which ways are you redesigning your working models, working setups and HR policies and programs to accommodate these changing priorities?
• We’re drowning in data: Over 2.5 quintillion bytes of which is produced every day, even as we’re all being pulled in more directions, the pace of change is accelerating, and the next 10 years may bring more change than the prior 10,000 — not to mention being asked to make more decisions faster than ever. How are you working to get your employees more actionable information and in a faster and more user-friendly format at every turn?

Likewise, some types of additional questions that these trends will raise for meeting and event pros in coming years that are worth considering as you shape your future thinking can be found below as well:

• Which workday tasks will be performed by humans, machines or both in coming years?
• How will automation, artificial intelligence and digital transformation technologies change the fundamental nature of the work that you do?
• What skills, resources and capabilities will you need to cultivate internally (and help partners cultivate externally) in the future to drive continuing organizational growth — and how well do your current workforce capabilities map to them?
• What more flexible and elastic plans can you put in place for managing remote, hybrid and on-site workforces, especially as you view these topics through various lenses ranging from productivity to health/safety and employee engagement?
• Do you have the technology and operating infrastructure in place that’s needed to effectively help your staff and partners collaborate, work and remain productive under any circumstances — and rapidly adapt to sudden or pronounced shifts in your environment?
• How are you helping employees cultivate new learning, connections and insights at every turn — and how can you help continuously create tangible and visible pathways to future opportunities for them going forward?

As you can see, just by taking a few moments out of your busy day to consider helpful queries such as these, not only can you more actively and productively plan for the future. You can also often discover tangible action steps that you can be taking to better prepare to greet tomorrow’s challenges today.

Put simply: You don’t need a crystal ball or superhuman powers to predict what’s coming next. Rather, you just need to purposefully ask yourself more pointed questions, and devote more time on your schedule to strategizing a few steps ahead. The future becomes far easier to adapt to when you simply take a few moments out in advance to plan for tomorrow today. C&IT

Having an exit strategy in advance is always crucial, no matter the event. Photo courtesy of Shannon Jones

Crisis management is probably the hardest challenge of event marketing. It’s hard work. It’s time consuming. It adds an extra touch of difficulty to event planning. And yet, you need to know how to prepare a strategic plan for your events because at some point, you’ll face an unexpected crisis at your event. Maybe a hurricane will suddenly turn in a direction not forecast by weather experts — right toward you and your attendees. Civil unrest might erupt. Food poisoning could hit multiple attendees or airlines could go on strike. Or a million other things could happen.

How that ultimately impacts your meeting depends on your crisis management plan, your communication strategy and how well prepared you and your team are.

Shannon Jones, CMP, senior meetings and events manager with Destination South Meetings + Events, said a clear chain of command is critical — who is immediately called in the event of a problem, who’s in charge, who calls whom. That includes who on the planning team, within the organization and at the hotel, convention center or other venue.

“If there’s a medical emergency, for example, the person who witnesses it would call 911, but then they’d also immediately call the identified person in the organization and/or the lead planner onsite. One of those people might have the job of calling the president or CEO of the organization,” said Jones.

In addition to identifying who should be called and in what order, Jones said it’s important to identify the person who would speak to the media in the event it’s an incident or issue in which the media might be interested — a fire in the building, a sexual harassment incident or a death, for example. If a company is large and a well-known name or brand, the media might want an official comment.

An exit strategy should be identified ahead of time. Where are the exits? Where should attendees be moved in the event the venue isn’t safe and what route should they take?  “Typically, the planning team would work with the venue ahead of time on that,” Jones said. “In many cases, the venue will have a detailed exit plan for its particular layout and would share that with the planning team in advance.”

There’s no single way to do things. “Every venue is different and vendor partners may have their own plans as to the chain of command and protocols,” Jones said. “In some cases, you might call the venue’s security personnel and in others you might be directed to call someone at the venue who will then contact security.”

Even something as familiar as calling 911 may not be the protocol in certain places. “Gaylord comes to mind,” Jones continued. “At Gaylord Opryland you don’t call 911. That resort is a huge property and if you don’t know it inside out you wouldn’t be able to direct first responders to where you and/or the emergency are. The property has a well-written plan on what to do to report an incident. It covers evacuation processes and the normal stuff in case of fire, etc. The protocol is to call the identified person within the resort first and that person calls and directs responders if necessary.”

Smaller venues may not have a plan, Jones noted. “That’s when you partner with staff and come up with a plan together, well ahead of time. When there’s no plan, people might do things differently and that can not only cause confusion in an emergency, and it can make things worse.”

Jones and her team always have a lead planner and an assistant planner onsite. “The lead planner should always be notified but isn’t necessarily the decisionmaker. If someone other than the lead planner is the decisionmaker, that person should be identified ahead of time.”

Jones emphasized the importance of involving your partners in your crisis management plan. If that hasn’t happened prior, those conversations should take place during the precon. She advised inviting at least one member of the venue’s security team to the precon.

“They need to know what’s going to happen and what to look out for so they can act if necessary. For example, is there going to be an open bar? Is your group primarily women? Are guests going to be using stairways? The more you share about the specifics of your group the better prepared everyone can be,” she said.

That goes not just for big things but small things, too. “Something as seemingly insignificant as the west elevator not working or lights out in the stairwell can become a significant problem if not taken care of quickly,” Jones said. “That’s where the chain of command comes in; you need to know who to contact immediately to mitigate problems like these before they become emergencies. The same goes for incidents that involve some kind of disciplinary response; that response should be decided ahead of time so everyone is on the same page.”

There are a variety of ways to communicate with attendees. “You can include pertinent information in your Know Before You Go communication and provide a link to PDFs or web pages devoted to crisis information. Whatever your mass communications tools are, you should know when and how to use them,” Jones said. “This is where your event app comes in. You can do push notifications and text notifications. You can also provide some info in your housekeeping notes.”

The more transparent your plan is, she added, “the more it’s a partnership, the better it is for everyone.”

Angela Baer, CMP, CMM, corporate event coordinator at Caterpillar Inc., also emphasizes how communication is the primary consideration in a crisis management plan.

“We cannot anticipate all the things that could happen at any given time or location so it’s important to have someone to answer questions, gather information and act on any issues appropriately,” said Baer. “Usually that person is me, so I like to be sure I have all my ducks in a row regarding things like emergency evacuations, take covers, etc.  But it’s also about knowing your location and attendees.”

Do they typically go off property?  If so, are there locations she can direct them to or steer them away from? Are there any large celebrations or demonstrations going on? These could impede attendees accessing the venue depending on the day and time.

“I just had an event in Arlington, Texas, and thank God the Rangers won when they did. Their parade on any other day would have seriously impeded my event. I’ve never watched a World Series game so closely!”

Experts often say that crisis leaders must respond, not react. Baer agreed. “Attendees will be looking to you (or your dedicated person) for answers, so leaders have to remain cool, calm and collected. It’s ok to not know what to do, but it’s important to stay calm and figure out a solution to whatever is happening.”

She said venues often provide “shockingly little” in terms of safety and security information, so she has a checklist she sends to venues. Any item they do not have or provide, she tries to arrange an alternative. For instance, if a venue doesn’t have onsite medical staff, she determines if she needs to hire them to be onsite or if having a plan to access the nearest prompt care or hospital is sufficient. Either way, she has phone numbers and other information to access if needed.

In terms of communicating with attendees, Baer, like others, said the app is a good tool. “We offer the option of an app that can include crisis information. If attendees choose not to use an app, we communicate this information (several times) prior to the event in email communications and we always have it available at the event for anyone who requests it,” said Baer.

That said, an app isn’t infallible. “I’ve learned over the years that people do not read, so you can give information to them tied in a bow, but they won’t see it until they need it and they’ll call you anyway,” Baer said. “Do not rely entirely on an app or any other communication, always be ready yourself with safety and security info.”

When a meeting is set in an international destination, that can add to the complexity of preparedness. Baer had events in four countries this year, and like she said, there are other things to consider when working internationally.

“For example, depending on the area, we put additional safety precautions in place in regard to things like transportation. We arrange airport transportation to and from our venue in some locations. We’ll have events in all-inclusive resorts in some countries, as they tend to be safer. Communicating with the venue personnel or people in a region is crucial to understanding the location and what precautions to take.”

The fact is, Baer said, “Stuff is going to happen. It’s how you manage it that will be remembered.”

Tyra Warner, associate professor and chair, Department of Hospitality, Tourism, & Culinary Arts at College of Coastal Georgia, pointed out that a good crisis management plan is enterprise wide. That is, it doesn’t just address meetings but the whole company or organization. If a true crisis occurs and affects the meeting, the whole organization will be scrutinized.

A crisis management plan should include a listing of who’s on the crisis management team.  “This is ideally a cross-functional team with representatives from different parts of the organization,” Warner said. A team could consist of a crisis team leader, site managers at specific facilities, communications folks and specialists. For example, if a crisis occurs, planners may want to have lawyers, insurance agents and possibly accountants on standby to answer questions and provide directions on how to proceed.

Warner said the first steps in creating a crisis plan should be a risk assessment and analysis. “It should contain a list of those potential crises, disasters and emergencies that are most likely to occur or that will have the biggest impact if they do occur. Then emergency response plans need to be created for those occurrences. Many will overlap because, for example, you may have several potential crises for which the appropriate response is to evacuate the facility or, conversely, to shelter in place.”

Like others, she said communication is critical. “Communication will vary depending on whether there’s a known threat. Assuming there’s no known threat, it’s still wise to include emergency information in the ‘Know Before You Go’ information sent to conference participants. This would include information they should know when onsite (where they can get first aid, emergency care, what number to dial in an emergency, etc.) as well as the information they should leave with friends or family back home who will be called if an emergency involving the attendee occurs.”

Although we often give little thought to the emergency contact requested on registration forms, it’s an important role. Friends and family need to know the hotel, address and phone number where the attendee is staying. They also need the number for the event organizer in case they think something is wrong, for example if the attendee doesn’t answer repeated phone calls and a wellness check seems necessary. Friends and family should also be able to quickly answer health and medication questions if called.

Warner said communicating with the venue is largely about coordinating plans. “The venue likely has its own emergency response plan, and the group doesn’t want to be working at cross purpose. The two need to coordinate. Venues need to be informed of known threats. The event organizer needs to ask questions about alarms — can they be heard in meeting rooms and guest rooms — and the location of evacuation points. The organizer needs to ask questions about procedures, too. For example, should attendees stay in place when an alarm is heard and wait for an announcement to say whether to shelter in place or evacuate? Destinations may need to be informed if there’s a known threat that may draw public scrutiny or the news, such as if there’s picketing.”

Leadership needs to be aware of any known threats, however small or unlikely. “This includes any known disgruntled former employees or domestic issues of attendees or employees that could escalate,” Warner said. “Leadership should be briefed on the emergency response plans as they’ll likely be part of the crisis response team. A crisis website and voicemail can be 90% created ahead of time, ready for a ‘fill in the blanks’ for the specific crisis. This will help speed the response if something does happen.”

Warner agrees that responding, not reacting, is imperative. “If an organization has taken the time to prepare, to do a risk assessment and analysis, to go through the crisis planning phase, they have the knowledge to respond.  If they say, “We’ll figure it out if it happens,” they can do nothing but react. Careful thought must go into each step of dealing with a crisis as a wrong step can have lasting ill effects. It’s important that leaders are responding in a prepared, educated manner and not just reacting to the next thing that hits them.”

The more we normalize crisis preparedness, Warner concluded, “the less uncomfortable our attendees will feel about it.  Start every session with an announcement of where the emergency exits are. Put colorful strips of paper with emergency information in the middle of tables. When attendees lose focus during the meeting (as they do), they’ll pick them up and read them.  Emergencies can happen anywhere, to anyone. We must be prepared.” C&IT

Gary Harpst is the author of “Built to Beat Chaos: Biblical Wisdom for Leading Yourself and Others.” He is the founder and CEO of LeadFirst. He is a keynote speaker, writer and teacher whose areas of focus include leadership, business and the integration of faith at work. He has been recognized as one of the Top 100 of the nation’s top thought-leaders in management and leadership by Leadership Excellence magazine. To learn more, visit leadfirst.ai.

Human desire is a double-edged sword. On one hand, our human desires — rooted in primal needs for power, reproduction and identity — fuel our efforts to transform chaos into order. But left unrealized, unchecked, or unchanneled, they can damage and undermine us. Great leaders must understand the dual nature of desire, because it can either motivate teams to pull together… or it can send our organizations spiraling off course.

You will be a better leader if you understand the power and presence of desire in everyone you interact with, including yourself. Engaging the hearts and minds of those around you depends on helping people fulfill these needs. It means becoming a student of desire and answering the important questions:

What do I want? What do my employees want?

Great leaders help employees find these important answers for themselves. Furthermore, they unite people with different desires and skills toward a common purpose and get people working together. By exploring what we and our employees truly want, you can unlock stores of untapped potential that not only bring business success but also curb the chaos and turmoil present in all organizations. My book “Built to Beat Chaos” lays out this and other biblically-based guidance for leaders, executives, and employees alike. Here ar some insights on desire that every leader should know.

All desires stem from needs related to power, reproduction and identity. We crave power, the ability to make the things we want to happen, happen. Skill, wealth, authority, strength, connections and influence are all examples of power. Then there’s reproduction, which is much broader than sex. It includes family, belonging and community. Finally, our desires can relate to identity — knowing who I am, why I am here and where I came from.

Desire is constructive (most of the time)… Our desires are useful because they enable us to do extraordinary things with our lives. This is why organizations truly thrive when people are aligned behind a purpose they believe in. By harnessing our desires and the desires of our teams, we can achieve remarkable results.

I was speaking with a group of CEOs from the service industry, and one CEO spoke up about his drivers. They often complained and were dissatisfied because they couldn’t sell like those in other divisions of the organization. The CEO set up a trial in which they too could be salespeople, and within six months they outsold the salesforce. As leaders, our job is to create an environment where every employee can win. When we figure out ways to unleash the capabilities of our employees, that’s where the big win-win occurs.

But it can also unleash chaos… Desire originates from deep within people’s hearts. However, our hearts can lead us into trouble by causing us to lose all reason or to act before thinking carefully about the consequences of our actions. People driven by desire may lash out in anger, or act out of fear, or become discouraged or heartsick. As I share in “Built to Beat Chaos,” my obsession with a misguided product line led to irrational decisions, almost bankrupted my company, and led to laying off a large number of employees.

Facing and working through that decision was the most difficult and valuable leadership lesson I ever had. These people were like family. Facing the truth about the impact it had on them and their loved ones was incredibly painful. So was acknowledging that it was my own strategy decisions that had led to this. I was not much fun to be around during this time.

…that creates disruption and discord in the organization. We’ve all seen the chaos that ensues at work when employees let their desires get the best of them. Angry employees are prone to bouts of uncooperativeness and outbursts that make them difficult to work with. Troublemakers stir up drama and breakdown the trust, communication and camaraderie of the team. Depressed or disengaged employees slow the workflow and drain resources. Talented employees don’t want to work in a chaotic environment and seek work elsewhere.

The good news is all of these issues can be repaired, often by focusing carefully on the desires of the very people creating discord and helping change their behavior.

Great leaders help employees align their desires with their actions. When trying to sort out the chaos of human interactions, leaders are more effective when they get to the root of what motivates people. They often benefit from bringing their underlying desires to the surface, because sometimes people are unaware of the effect desires have on their actions. Help your employees find the reasons behind the emotion.

Seeking clarity around our desires helps us identify our purpose. People have a deep desire to “win.” But if we can’t explain what we want, we can’t understand what “winning” means. It’s necessary for everyone in the organization to be able to clearly express what they want. If leaders aren’t clear about their desires, their team is unlikely to understand what “winning” looks like to the leader. The same is true for employees. This leads to more chaos. But when we are clear about our desires, and can take the correct actions to bring them to life, we are on our way to discovering and acting on our purpose.

Desire alone isn’t enough. We also need accountability. To see this truth in action, look no further than Weight Watchers. The program works wonders, but most (not all) people who want (desire) to lose weight do not do what they say they want to do: eat healthy and exercise. Our desire to continue in our current habits often overrides our desire to change.

In my early years in the Weight Watchers program, I was traveling and often missed the check-in meetings. After a while, I thought all they did was weigh me, record the result, tell me whether I was up or down, and charge me $15. It seemed logical to put a chart on my mirror, buy a scale for $25, and do it myself. It would save me a 20-minute trip and $15. You know the punch line already, because, chances are, you are just like me: It didn’t work. The program worked for me only if I submitted to their accountability. My self-discipline was not effective.

We can’t do it alone. Creating anything worthwhile takes teamwork. We are created to multiply, and that in itself has deep implications for leadership. It means we cannot fulfill our purpose by ourselves. We have to work with others to make the most impact.

Understanding the power of desire is just the beginning for leaders. Your other job is to help employees align their desires with the actions to achieve the organization’s goals and use their unique talents and skills to become the best they can be. This is great for them as individuals, and it also makes them truly valuable employees.

It is a great responsibility to help employees tap into the power of their deepest needs and desires. You take that on as a leader, knowing that the journey won’t be easy or smooth. But the rewards are well worth your effort: When desires drive the actions of an inspired team, everyone wins. C&IT

Forbes Business Council, Newsweek Expert Forum and Rolling Stone Culture Council member Merilee Kern, MBA, is founder, executive editor and producer of “The Luxe List,” as well as host of both the “Savvy Living” lifestyle and travel and “Savvy Ventures” business TV shows. Connect with her at TheLuxeList.com, SavvyLiving.tv, at LuxeListReports on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and on LinkedIn at MerileeKern. 

For anyone watching the education space evolve over the last two decades, the current online learning boom has been an inevitability. But, amid societal and cultural shifts and real-world deployments of nextgen technologies, this category is perhaps exceeding even the most optimistic of expectations as research forecasts exponential growth.

This, as e-learning market size reportedly surpassed $315 billion in 2021 and is projected to reach $1 trillion as soon as 2028. Emerging tech like artificial intelligence and machine learning are certainly driving much of this growth. In fact, reports increasingly evangelize the copious benefits advancements like AI bring to the e-Learning sector … and industry pundits are taking heed.

e-Learning: Then and Now

The term “e-learning” was coined in 1999, and it took another decade for online learning to start picking up steam. After an initial spurt in 2012, which the media dubbed the “Year of the MOOC” (for Massive Open Online Courses), e-learning settled into strong, relatively steady growth. Some online course providers reported staggering enrollment base growth — one of which,  Coursera, surging by a consistent 7 million annually in just a three-year period.

Then came the pandemic, which rapidly accelerated online learning and thrust the industry squarely into the spotlight — whether or not it was ready for primetime. In fact, the World Economic Forum estimates that e-learning course enrollment doubled in the first year of the pandemic. It increased another 32% in 2021. In 2020, nearly 31 million new students enrolled in Coursera courses — a significant jump that occurred again in 2021 when the platform’s user base reached 92 million. That same year, the number of MOOC learners eclipsed 220 million.

Overall, the e-learning industry has grown 900% since 2000, fueled equally by the pandemic and the escalating demand for a flexible, affordable alternative to the traditional four-year degree. The fast-emerging corporate e-learning space is on a similar trajectory, expected to skyrocket 250% in the next three years as companies large and small launch digital courses and certificates.

The Completion Conundrum

As online learning races toward a $1 trillion market size and competition heats up among academia, corporations and other creators, an uncomfortable question looms: Why aren’t more students completing online courses?

For one startup, that question sparked a decade-long obsession — and laid the foundation for an AI and behavioral science-driven platform that cracks the “completion rate” code.

“Investment in online courses is growing at an almost exponential rate, yet the industry has failed to tackle its biggest problem: low completion rates,” said Scott Duffy, co-founder and chief executive officer of Courus. “We’ve spent a decade researching this single problem because, without bolstering today’s sub-par completions, e-learning can’t reach its full potential.”

In 2021, more than $300 billion was spent on e-learning. Research shows that the average completion rate for e-learning courses is just 3.1%; in other words, 97 out of 100 students who enroll in any given course fail to finish what they started.

Course completion is directly tied to learning outcomes, yet it is a statistic most in the industry are hesitant to talk about. Not Duffy. He revealed that his team has been obsessively researching a solution to the completion rate problem ever since the “Year of the MOOC.”

“All that extensive research has taught the team what doesn’t work,” said Duffy. “Despite the tendency to blame the learner’s attention span, low completion rates aren’t the student’s fault — and data shows that ‘bells and whistles’ aren’t the solution.”

“When course creators see a poor completion rate, the tendency is to think, ‘What can we do to boost the student’s attention span?,’” Duffy continued. “But, through rigorous testing, we’ve seen virtually no difference in completion rates for courses with poor-quality versus high-quality video content. Replacing an out-of-the-box Learning Management System with a custom one doesn’t move the needle, and neither does gamifying the content.”

Duffy added more fuel to the fire, noting that during the COVID-19 pandemic, online university enrollment skyrocketed, yet there was no measurable difference in completion rates.

Meager Motivation Undermining Online Learning

According to Duffy, low completion rates are a motivation issue, not an attention span issue.  “What motivates someone to complete courses in person doesn’t apply online,” he asserts. “In most cases, creators fail to consider how learning changes once you remove the classroom environment.”

The dynamics of accountability, interaction and attention, for example, all shift when education leaves the physical classroom environment and goes online. If attention spans aren’t the issue and what applies in person doesn’t apply online, then how can course creators boost their failing grades in completion? Joe DeMaria, Courus co-founder and chief learning officer, said the team’s behavioral modeling has also uncovered what does work: ascension and alignment.

“First, does the program’s structure take learners where they want to go? Can we actually build the skills to reach an end result? And then, is the result aligned with the student’s goals and desires?” asked DeMaria. “Through our modeling, we’ve found that if a program has these two facets, the result is more engagement and higher completion.”

“Structuring a program for completion and aligning that experience with the student’s motivations is a tough dynamic to get right,” Duffy said. “That’s especially the case when so many creators have backgrounds other than education. In a landscape where 40% of Fortune 500s are investing in e-learning, that’s an increasingly common scenario.”

According to Duffy, Courus helps creators crack the code. Fueled by proprietary behavioral science and leading-edge AI, he underscores that the platform is proven to enhance engagement and increase completion rates to 65% or higher. “With Courus, brands are building the world’s most powerful online courses and, in many cases, seeing real ROI for the first time,” he noted.

Boosting Consequential KPIs

Courus uses AI, machine learning and proprietary behavioral science to help creators learn what to build, how to structure that content for e-learning completion and when to optimize it for reduced friction and drop-offs.

“Our proprietary behavioral science models have been amplified even further through the power of AI,” said DeMaria. “Think of all the incredible minds and heaps of intellect that can now be realized because, for the first time, courses are fully optimized to boost engagement, completion and overarching ROI.”

To achieve that, the platform leverages a range of automated tools. An audience insight engine helps creators understand learners before investing in a course, while a course builder identifies the precise structure to boost completion and engagement.

The data on course completion rates may be discouraging, but AI and behavioral science are empowering creators to build more powerful courses. And, the benefits are sure to extend far beyond the ROI of any single course.

“By optimizing courses for completion, ROI isn’t just boosted but outcomes for learners also improve and e-learning is closer to achieving its full potential,” Duffy concluded, “Because, if there’s one industry long overdue for disruption, it’s education.” C&IT

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Food and beverage predictions for 2024 shows there will be more vibrant and bold culinary palettes and flavors with lighter and healthier dishes. Plant-based foods like meatless hamburgers made with quinoa, chickpeas and walnuts represents the transparency and purity of ingredients that are now popular. Vegetarian, vegan and gluten- and dairy-free options; quicker meals and mocktails are also among the trends planners and chefs will see in conference dining. Those same trends shape the meals we typically make and eat at home, so why should conferences be different? Not surprising, no one says they miss those interminable, heavy meals of conferences past — and no one is going hungry, either.

Matthew Samuels, program manager with SAP Global Marketing, a global producer of software for business management processes, sees a focus is on balance. “We’ve observed a shift in our approach to event dining, transitioning from the COVID-19 era when we primarily offered 100% grab-and-go options. Today, we’re moving toward a balanced mix of grab-and-go selections and traditional hot buffets. One notable trend we’ve noticed is the increasing demand for vegetarian and gluten-free options. Attendees are conscious of their dietary choices and seeking healthier and cleaner eating while traveling, which aligns with the broader focus on well-being.”

Another noteworthy change, he added, “is that we’ve shifted away from serving liquor at our events. Instead, we now offer wine and beer exclusively. This adjustment encourages responsible alcohol consumption, which creates a safer environment for everyone. In response to this shift, we see a rise in popularity of mocktails, which are often used as sponsorship opportunities.”

While the trend toward healthier eating has been on the rise for several years, Samuels said the pandemic prompted many of us to prioritize our health as we had more time to experiment with cooking and focus on nutritious meals. “Attendees have become more conscious of their food choices and the impact of nutrition on their overall well-being. An increasing number are selecting vegetarian and gluten- or dairy-free meals. Catering to this trend by offering nutritious and sustainable meal options at events and conferences is in line with current attendee preferences.”

Regardless of food trends, Samuels said a key objective of the SAP events team is to offer attendees an exceptional F&B experience at events, while also staying within budget.

“A prime example of our approach was with the Sodexo Live! team at the Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) where we introduced a fresh and innovative lunch experience centered around a ‘build-a-bowl’ concept, which can also be deconstructed to provide a more traditional hot plated meal,” said Samuels.

“This experience empowers our guests to craft their own customized bowls, choosing from a variety of bases, including greens or starch, a selection of protein options that include vegetarian and vegan alternatives, a hot vegetable component and a huge selection of toppings and dressings. By all accounts, it was a huge success; it resonated with all of our attendees and our food and beverage survey scores had never been higher.”

Another top priority for the team is sustainability at all SAP-hosted events. They make sure to align their food and beverage offerings with as many sustainable practices as they can. They’ve eliminated single-use plastics at all events. Water is always served from a bubbler with paper cups and/or a reusable bottle provided to all attendees.

According to Samuels, all grab-and-go item packaging and service ware must be eco-friendly, promoting reusable and recyclable materials. “We ask that all food be sourced within 50 miles of the event venue in order to use local, seasonal ingredients whenever possible,” explained Samuels, who’s mindful to reduce their carbon footprint and supports local communities, aligning with his company’s sustainability goals. To this end, they have also expanded their plant-based menu options to reduce the environmental impact associated with animal agriculture.

It’s important that venues are on board. “We like to work with venues such as the OCCC and vendors like Sodexo Live! who take into account energy-efficient food preparation methods, reducing food waste and donating unused food items to local charities,” Samuels added.

As to whether sustainability and health affect the budget, Samuels said yes, but that’s not a problem. “Locally sourced food product and sustainable, eco-friendly service ware often come with a higher price tag compared to conventional options. However, the decision to prioritize these elements should not deter companies from incorporating them into events as costs can be offset through sponsorships and marketing opportunities. It also aligns with the growing demand for responsible and eco-conscious event planning and helps enhance your brand.”

F&B should also be part of providing ample networking opportunities. “One of our primary considerations when planning an event is the importance of networking,” said Samuels. “We prioritize creating an environment that facilitates and maximizes networking. To achieve this, we strategically position our food and beverage offerings in areas where attendees gather to consume content or engage in meetings throughout the day. This approach allows attendees to enjoy meals at their convenience without the need to interrupt significant conversations or networking opportunities.”

In addition to ensuring seamless networking, Samuels aims for culinary variety and accessibility. He likes to maintain a balance between traditional hot buffet areas and readily available grab-and-go options. This ensures that his attendees have to spend less time contemplating where and what to eat, enabling them to focus more on taking full advantage of the diverse offerings and opportunities that the conferences provide.

Looking ahead, Samuels said, “Given the attention attendees are putting on what they eat and where they eat it, I think service and setup will be geared around easy, quick access with a priority given to keeping attendees consuming the content they came for and having uninterrupted meaningful conversation that helps them and the companies they work for.”

At the Orange County Convention Center (OCCC), Sodexo Live! Executive Chef James Katurakes sees much the same. “One of the biggest trends we’re seeing here is the rising need for buffets to be inclusive for everyone. Planners are looking more for vegetarian and vegan options, and for dietary restricted meals to be part of a buffet or meal function rather than making someone feel left out by having to eat from a separate meal area.”

As planners have become more knowledgeable about sustainability, Katurakes said they also want to know more about a venue’s operations. The main question he gets asked by event planners is, “How are you operating sustainably and how can we decrease our footprint?”

“By focusing on minimizing the footprint of our operations and partnering with local businesses that support sustainable initiatives, we’ve become a hub for sustainable events,” explained Katurakes. “We started a hyper-local onsite garden. Our team partners with local ‘farmerpreneur’ Urban Smart Farms to operate the Center-to-Table Gardens — a 2,000-sf indoor aeroponic farm with over 80 grow towers. Annually, the gardens produce 50,000+ fresh, nutritious non-GMO lettuces, herbs and edible flowers. We’ve received positive feedback from both meeting planners and guests. They love that they can see where their food is gown and sourced. We also started a new partnership with The Honey Frame Co. Honey is sourced straight from a bee farm just north of Orlando.”

In addition, he noted, OCCC uses compostable, disposable service ware, which is popular with groups but had been challenging to procure. “With the upward trend of people better understanding sustainability, there’s a new market for compostable service ware. It’s easier for us to secure these items now,” he said. Asked what excites him in convention F&B these days, the chef said he loves the freedom to create new and custom menus for OCCC guests. Andy Baker, founder & CEO of RISE Health Group, recently had a program at Mountain Shadows Resort in Scottsdale, Arizona.

“We’re seeing a trend toward healthier, lighter and more moderated meals. The days of three heavy, protein-rich meals seem to be fading,” said Baker.

Many of us don’t eat that way at home and don’t want to feel the need to detox after a conference due to an overload of heavy food. Balance is the solution. “If we offer a heavy dinner the night before, we aren’t going to have sausage, bacon, pancakes and eggs in the morning buffet. Instead, we may do a continental breakfast with pastries, fresh fruits, granola, yogurts and other light options that mirror what attendees would likely have at home. We’ve seen a positive response to that approach,” said Baker.

“It’s easy to say it’s stabilized but I think it’s grown. The perception of stabilization is because there’s now an expectation of healthy. It’s no longer a big topic because it’s not new. We’ve experimented with our meals over the last two years where we offered lighter meals instead of the heavy ones traditionally provided at conferences. The feedback we received about the food not being ‘typical’ was positive,” he said.

Sustainability thus far has not had a big impact on his group. They request water stations and try to leave as small a footprint as possible, but that’s a byproduct of their lean nature as a company and event, he said. While his program doesn’t include exercise or other activities, it does include an intentional 1.5-hour afternoon break between the education sessions and dinner to allow people to use the time for themselves, and many attendees use that time to exercise.

“We feel that offering the option to maintain a healthy lifestyle, along with the business side of the conference, enhances the networking experience. After all, if you don’t feel like yourself or feel you’ve overeaten or need to exercise, you’re not going to feel like talking and being social — at least that’s our philosophy,” said Baker.

Missy Holmes, director of catering and conference services at Mountain Shadows Resort, sees a build-your-own-menus trend. “This year, we introduced a Build Your Own Protein Bowl lunch menu. Attendees start with their choice of a base (greens or rice), have a variety of protein choices and many toppings to complete their bowl. Guests create a delicious plate for themselves and can accommodate allergies or preferences without the need for a custom option. Another trend,” she added, “is to provide a mocktail option in addition to a signature cocktail.”

Eco-friendly practices aren’t new to Mountain Shadows. Their team has long-focused on partnering with reputable, sustainably minded vendors with a passion for quality. They source the majority of their produce from a local organic farmer and their standard menus incorporate vegetarian options on every available buffet, many that can be easily adjusted to be vegan. We’ve also curated allergy friendly options for desserts that can be substituted on a menu to accommodate requests for vegan, gluten free and dairy free.

Holmes said planners want “readily available swaps to accommodate allergies and healthy modifications versus having to create entirely customized menus.” That includes snacks. “We have house-made protein bites and granola bars that are always a hit. Local fresh-press juices are popular, too.”

What Holmes finds exciting today is that planners understand the importance of quality F&B at conferences. “They want to impress C-Suite guests and are more willing to trust our culinary team and events team to be creative,” she said.

Bernard Foster, executive chef with Aramark at the Anaheim Convention Center, said taste and quality are always paramount regardless of time constraints. “It’s the duty of the chef to provide a meal that’s nourishing, satisfying, rejuvenating and, most importantly, flavorful,” he said.

Foster sees meal periods for large groups being streamlined to optimize attendees’ availability to attend program sessions. The shift is providing meals on-the-go via boxed lunches, food trucks, portables, grab-n-go options and added food stations to alleviate lines. Receptions, however, are still celebrations to welcome and thank attendees. These menus focus more on providing memorable experiences, where individuals can mark their moments in social gatherings where the food is themed, creative and fun.

He said reducing animal proteins and providing more plant-based options is now the norm. “It’s no longer a trend in the conference/meeting setting; it’s a fundamental part of menu creation,” he said.

Sustainability has long been front and center at Anaheim Convention Center. “As a LEED certified facility with green programs and initiatives already in place, planners and attendees are assured that the food being prepared is sourced locally, the disposable service ware is eco-friendly and food waste is being composted or donated,” he added.

That said, Foster noted some planners drill down on sustainability, seeking data on the distance the food traveled and details about disposable-product labeling to ensure compliance with California legislation. The center continues to have answers.

“We’re reducing our carbon footprint by sourcing new kitchen equipment that’s more energy efficient than decades prior, and we implemented our rooftop garden last summer,” he said.

In the immediate future, Foster believes spicy foods will take center stage this year as chefs understand more about how they ignite one’s tastebuds when paired with savory and sweet flavors, and how the capsaicin in peppers is extremely beneficial to an individual’s gut microbiome.

And then there’s every fusion imaginable, he continued, as chefs pair foods from different cultures in different ways to create experiences. “It’s a playground where we’re able to try new ideas and recipes without discrediting the origins of the dish,” he said. “For it to be successful, a chef needs to have a strong foundation and understanding of the culture’s flavors to create an item that works synergistically.”

The bottom line is this: Planners and attendees are asking for healthier, more creative, sustainably produced foods aligned with today’s diets, and chefs and venues are responding. Planners can expect next-level menus at their conference — not as a custom add-on, but as standard.

For Baker, the healthy trend is a positive professionally and personally. “Sitting down in educational sessions all day, eating heavy meals and drinking at nightly mixers isn’t the healthiest of lifestyles and it’s not consistent with my regular habits. I’m excited to see options to maintain my lifestyle on the road versus give up on it for a few days.”

Most attendees would agree.       C&IT

Planners and attendees are enjoying collaborating in person again. Photo courtesy of Matthew Martinucci / Visit San Jose

It’s 2024, and there are positive signs ahead for the meeting industry. Characterized as being more dynamic, more digital and more impactful, it is also better prepared to play a leading role in today’s global challenges.

It’s hard to believe that just three years ago, this industry, and the rest of the world, faced an uncertain future, one with an unknown restart. The pandemic shook it to its core and now, it has evolved. It has overcome its setbacks, risen above it all, and surprisingly, it has shown unprecedented growth.

“We’ve left the pandemic well behind us as in-person events have come back to the forefront, with attendance approaching — and sometimes exceeding — the record pre-pandemic numbers many organizations were seeing,” said Patrick Smith, chief marketing officer of Cvent.

In fact, American Express Global Business Travel’s latest Global Meetings and Events Forecast found that 79% of respondents said their meetings and events in 2024 will be either entirely in-person or hybrid. At the same time, the return of business travel is expected to surpass pre-pandemic levels by 2024. Nothing beats the power of meeting face-to-face and the momentum the industry is seeing for in-person experiences is further proof of that.

At the same time, virtual and hybrid events, including up-leveled webinars, are still a valuable part of the events program mix. Reaching and engaging larger audiences digitally is a core part of many organizations’ event strategies.

“There’s more of a concerted effort to provide attendees with high-quality, personalized content to maximize their return on experience, with meaningful networking, professional development and educational opportunities top of mind at events that are being run,” said Katrina Kent, CMP, vice president of meeting management and event strategy for Liberty Mutual Insurance.

Heather Larson, president and CEO of Meet Chicago Northwest, noted that the numbers of meetings are growing, but they look a little different than they did a few years ago, and that’s actually a good thing.

“People crave interaction with others who share their same interests, and events help individuals find their own tribe, and in a business setting, they want to bounce ideas off of others,” she said. “People want to work in a team in a creative way, they want to hear from others how they handled particular situations and challenges. They want to learn not just in a lecture style, but through true interactions: standing in line for coffee and between sessions at a conference. People are sick of staring at a screen and want to travel and see and do new things. The bizcation is all the rage.”

Amy Kramer, CMP, director, market and product innovation leader for Maritz Global Events, sees the industry as ripe for innovation and feels it’s in a new and improved meeting environment.

“I believe the biggest change that we’re going to see going into 2024 is how we design events,” she said. “Pre-pandemic, we designed events the way we’ve always done them. Event design was all about content, agendas and execution, and then once we went through the pandemic, it was about getting people back face-to-face and connecting with one another. And now we’ve entered this next phase, which is about customization.”

Matthew Martinucci, vice president of sales and destination services for Visit San Jose, forecasts high returns in 2024.

“In the last fiscal year, the number of conferences booked in San Jose was 24% higher than the previous year and we continue to see a rise in meetings and hotel bookings,” he said.

By the Numbers

The U.S. corporate event market size was reported as $95.3 billion in 2020, and is predicted to reach $510.9 billion by 2030, according to Allied Market Research.

What’s more, the global event industry was worth nearly $890 billion in that same time period, and this value could grow to more than two trillion by 2028, according to Gerardo Tejado, senior vice president of professional services for American Express GBT.

The ease of visa restrictions, investments in better infrastructure, and the increase in the amount of travelers in commercial aviation from the U.S. are some of the other factors that are fueling the growth of the U.S. corporate meeting market.

Tech Talk

Not surprisingly, tech innovation has played an important role in the corporate event industry. With LCD projectors, video conferencing and fast notebooks, the new standard for meetings and tech is key to driving the industry’s successful rebound and shaping its positive trajectory.

From a technology perspective, years of digital transformation was condensed into a matter of months as the pandemic hit the industry hard and the digitization of events have contributed to increased efficiency, simplified work streams for both hotels and planners and more engaged attendees.

One example of this, Kramer noted, is how the industry has experienced and reacted to the Metaverse.

“This technology helps us use tech as an extension of a meeting, giving people a much more interactive and exciting way to follow up with content from an event,” she said. “AI has been another big opportunity for us to not only repurpose content, but to extend that content, saving event planners time and effort.”

The surge of event technology allows meeting professionals to do things quickly like the ability to print a badge at home.

“These new technology applications help us to be more efficient, but also allow you to spend more time in the meeting experience than in the technical components,” Kramer said. “We’ve also seen a continued evolution of the mobile app, which is another great example of technology playing a role. These apps are becoming more user friendly and providing many more helpful tools than they have had in the past.”

Perhaps the most notable example was during the onset of the pandemic when the entire industry had to pivot to a virtual-only meeting and event environment practically overnight.

“Ever since, there has been a clear and significant shift away from paper and pen — or manual processes — in favor of digital tools that not only streamline the event management process, but enhance the attendee experience and give event organizers more insight into their attendees’ interests,” Smith said. “In addition, in uncertain economic environments or when faced with staffing shortages, people tend to have greater appreciation for solutions that help them work ‘smarter’ not ‘harder,’ and event technology has enabled these smaller teams to keep their businesses running by automating key event processes that can be repeatable over time.”

Another piece of this digital transformation and its contribution to the growth of the industry is the advent of more dynamic event programs that incorporate a smart mix of in-person, virtual and hybrid events and up-leveled webinars.

“With more event formats to choose from, organizations are hosting more events, engaging more attendees and reaching broader audiences than ever before,” Smith said. “You just didn’t have these kinds of options or impact pre-pandemic when the vast majority of the events were in-person, with many done offline.”

AI is increasingly being used to enhance event marketing campaigns or create more personalized event communications and Smith believes there will be more creative use of technology in 2024 and beyond.

“Generative AI has been a game-changer for nearly every industry, and meetings and events is no exception,” he said, adding that in the AMEX GBT study, 42% of those who responded revealed they expect to use AI in 2024. “We’ve seen incredible adoption of Cvent’s own AI tools like our AI Writing Assistant, which leverages the power of generative AI to create engaging content faster and more efficiently. It’s exciting to see all the ways in which technology is revolutionizing the meetings and events industry.”

Larson appreciates how technology has made work life more efficient for those in the industry, though she does believe it has some drawbacks.

“We can go from one staff meeting to another meeting in a matter of seconds without ever leaving our desks,” she said. “This works well for day-to-day tactical interactions when we accomplish fast tasks, but it doesn’t replace the face-to-face. It doesn’t foster strategic thinking and creativity. It results in meeting’s attendees multi-tasking and not fully paying attention to what is being discussed. Who among us hasn’t quickly checked their social media accounts or emails while attending a webinar and then completely lost track of what was being discussed?”

Gartner predicts that by 2025, 80% of B2B sales interactions between suppliers and buyers will occur in digital channels, and while not a direct reflection of event-specific sales interactions, industry professionals are seeing similar trends between planners and hoteliers.

For example, many event planners say online booking is their preferred method of booking small simple meetings. So, both event planners and suppliers will have to learn how to navigate a world where instant responses and personalized communication through digital channels is not just desired, but expected.

Impact of Pandemic

Most meeting professionals agree that the loss of in-person meetings during the pandemic made people appreciate the inherent value in bringing people together.

“In-person experiences encourage more meaningful connections, deeper learning, and can ultimately lead to greater results,” Smith said. “The temporary pivot to virtual was actually a catalyst to our industry’s growth. The pandemic showed us how resilient the industry could be. Event organizers had to reinvent themselves and their event programs overnight, while hoteliers had to dig deep to remain optimistic during what was likely the darkest times any of them had faced. It instilled in every industry professional a level of confidence that wasn’t there before, and a level of resiliency that we can all carry moving forward.”

This era created that desire for people to want to meet face-to-face, but also, most have realized they can change the way to meet and connect. Events can now be shorter with more free time, depending on the attendees’ needs. “We are seeing companies focus even more on sustainability,” said Kramer. “We’re being smarter about how we plan and more focused on people, finding value for them professionally and personally and thinking of their well-being even more.”

Possible Hindrances to Growth

Despite things looking so rosy, there are some possible challenges that could impact the growth of the industry in the years to come. For instance, the rising cost of goods and services is a major pain point for event planners, often leading to higher prices for hotel rooms, special event venues and F&B options.

Cvent’s 2023 Planner Sourcing Report, which surveyed event professionals on their sourcing preferences, found that 48% of respondents say that cost-saving measures will predominantly shape their event planning priorities in 2024. At the same time, 81% reported adjusting their event budgets upwards, showing that despite cost pressures, there is a willingness to grow budgets to secure desired hotels and venues.

Another challenge the industry is dealing with is the loss of long-standing planner/supplier relationships that happened during the pandemic when people left the events world. A third of planners Cvent surveyed reported that rebuilding relationships is one of their top priorities for this year and next.

“There’s a concerted effort for planners to be more intentional about communicating with venues and vendors at each stage of the sourcing and event planning process to avoid confusion and ensure the best onsite experience,” Smith said. “Planners are leveraging productivity tools that can help free up their time so they can focus more intently on deepening interpersonal connections, rather than on mundane tasks.”

There is a great deal of instability in the world, Martinucci noted, pointing to two wars happening at a time when the federal government is somewhat dysfunctional and there are several mixed indicators from the economy.

“The meetings industry, and travel as a whole, thrive when there is more peace and stability,” he said. “This is a huge challenge for us, especially internationally.”

Sustainability, particularly climate change, can also be troublesome in the future. “If we don’t take some of these climate issues seriously, we could find ourselves in a lot of trouble,” Kramer said. “For so long, people thought sustainability was just about recycling and reduced consumption.  But now, we are seeing more regulations coming in from the government and corporations.”

The meeting industry faces another big issue: how to best use data to make better decisions around why you’re holding an event. “Measuring the impact is important, because we’re seeing attendees and exhibitors are wanting to see that ROI more than ever,” Kramer said. “And then there is the shift in attendee generations. We know this new generation does not want the same things, so we must consider what each is expecting as it relates to connection and content.”

Inflation is one of the complaints Larson hears from meeting professionals regularly. “Businesses are cutting costs wherever they can. Training is often one of the first to go. Furthermore, some of the chaos within airlines in recent years has resulted in many being hesitant to fly. Even in our enviable location on the edge of O’Hare International Airport and in the middle of the country, we are seeing more of our attendees choosing to drive five to six hours rather than risking flight delays and hassles.”

Tips to Remain Strong

Both hospitality and event professionals have a responsibility to ensure the long-term strength and continued growth of the meetings industry remain strong. Smith noted the best way to do this is for everyone to focus on the attendee experience.

“After years of virtual-only meetings, attendees are eager to network with peers, learn from experts, and take advantage of all the perks that come with traveling to new destinations and attending meetings and events,” he said. “Prioritize the needs of your attendees and routinely assess how you can refine your offerings to exceed their expectations. Use event surveys and data gathered during an event to make the next event better. Embrace accessibility so anyone who wants to attend an event can do so and have a meaningful experience.”

Larson laughs when a convention or meeting planner puts out a one sheeter titled something like “How to Convince Your Boss They Should Send You to this Conference,” believing that sometimes planners need to advocate for themselves, and be willing to learn and grow in the profession.

“Even the most seasoned professional can learn new tricks and better their best practices at meetings and conventions to make the organizations they work for stronger,” she said.

It has been widely known for years that travel and interpersonal experiences foster growth, understanding, learning and prosperity, so with that in mind, Martinucci noted promotion is key for continued success.

“Embrace a clear digital marketing strategy that focuses on the desirability and accessibility of your destination,” he said. “Use all available tools to target and reach the right customer, and then deliver the experience that they are looking for.”

One of the biggest considerations for continued growth of the industry is inclusivity and the understanding of all the people attending meetings and events.

“There are multiple generations attending and they each have a different way of engaging and consuming content,” Kramer said. “So how can we use available data to design our events to bring value to everyone? What is the return on experience? Lean into technology, where appropriate. Be comfortable to explore and try new things as it relates to events and using these technologies.”

Without question, the industry looks like it will continue to grow. Planners just need to be open to taking a few risks with technology and looking at it through the lens of continual human engagement, performance and potential. C&IT

DepositPhotos.com

Planning corporate meetings or events often requires a planner to be a “Jack or Jill of all trades.” Managing projects, choreographing event schedules, strategizing the best venues, and handling all of the digital components of the events is not a job that can be done alone. Planners need to select a team of vendors whom they can trust to help carry out their vision.

When it comes to choosing and overseeing the vendors involved with a corporate meeting — being streamlined and efficient in the managerial process can result in a seamless corporate event.

Depending on the scope of a planner’s event, their roster of vendors might look something like this:

Performers

• Caterer | Bartender
• Decorator
• AV firm
• Florist
• Graphic Designer for event signage and invitations
• Photographer | Videographer
• Transportation | Parking services

As a corporate meeting planner, CEO and founder of Evoke, an experience agency based in Houston, TX, Oana Borcoman understands what it takes to properly manage vendors. Boasting nearly 15 years of experience working in corporate meeting planning, sales, business strategy and events, Borcoman has strong expertise in the hospitality industry and uses it as a foundation for clients in all industries. Her clients have included Wahlburgers, Red Bull, ForeFlight by Boeing, Landry’s and many other national companies.

In Borcoman’s opinion, vendors can make or break a planner’s event, but they can also significantly affect the event execution experience. Certainly, things happen that don’t align with the “plan” all the time, but if a planner has a strong solid relationship with their vendors, it not only gives them peace of mind because they trust what they do, but it also provides for a good foundation to be tough and/or ask for favors.

“People do business with people they like. They can also make life harder on people they don’t like versus people they like,” Borcoman said. It is important to Borcoman that she has wonderful relationships and empathetic conversations with her vendors at all times, because let’s face it, she needs them. Without their trust and diligence, things can go very differently than planned, and as a planner, Borcoman cannot just pull their service or offer out of a hat to fix it without them.

“Above all else, relationships matter,” said Craig Dooley, president of SDI Meetings & Incentives in Chicago, IL. “Relationships are the greatest determining factor in the success of an event, because people are doing the work and have to work together — at every stage of planning and execution, and especially in the execution.”

Dooley’s corporate clients come from a range of industries — from financial services and insurance to manufacturing to medical services — supporting the executives and teams who lead their organizations’ off-site meetings and incentive travel programs.

“The health and strength of these relationships make the difference between a transaction and a partnership, and it’s what makes a good event great,” said Dooley, who strives to establish partnerships, mutual success and a little bit of fun along the way — not only when things go well, but especially when things don’t.

Proper Management Equals Success

Properly managing event vendors is very similar to properly managing employees. It requires a solid combination of leadership skills, effective communication and a true understanding of interpersonal relationships. But one of the most vital components of a solid vendor/planner relationship is clear communication.

As Borcoman explained, communication is key. It is paramount to clearly communicate expectations, goals and tasks to ensure everyone understands their roles and responsibilities.

“Communicating our needs, wants and ‘nice to haves’ with them is super important as is communicating all the details of the event, client and venue,” Borcoman said. “Being available anytime they need to chat is crucial. At the end of the day, I view it as I am working for them and not the other way around. I am grateful for their availability, and I am at their service. My events would not be successful without them, so I need to set them up for success.”

As part of the vendor managerial process, corporate meeting planners should also define expectations and goals for the vendor and make sure they understand that their work and efforts contribute to the overall success of the event.

In addition, meeting planners should provide constructive feedback throughout the entire event planning and execution process, and be sure to be specific and focus on behavior and outcomes.

After the event is concluded, planners need to be sure to recognize and appreciate vendors for their hard work and efforts put forth during the corporate event. They should share this recognition with others on their planning team, in the company, and via social media if warranted. By recognizing vendors in deliberate ways, it reassures that they will perform well on future corporate events they plan.

As everyone in the corporate meeting and event industry can attest to, issues and problems arise among vendors. When that happens, planners should address conflicts proactively and try to be flexible when possible. Showing that they understand issues that arise and that they can accommodate for those situations can help establish a respectful event planning culture.

Avoiding Inherent Problems

As with any professional relationship, there are undoubtedly inherent problems that can emerge when event vendors are not properly managed by corporate meeting planners.

“Tactically within an event, some of the inherent problems that can emerge when event vendors are not properly managed are waste, inefficiency, frustration and results that are harder to achieve than they should be,” Dooley said.

“Strategically, there is either no relationship or a short-lived one when vendors are not managed properly — and things simply cost more than they should, quantitatively and qualitatively. There may be a transaction, a specific project that is executed out of necessity, but so much opportunity is lost and value left on the table for everyone involved when not managed well.”

Borcoman pointed to some problems that arise from not properly managing and communicating with vendors. These include:

• Crossover during setup that gets in the way of each other
• Lack of understanding of the scope, timing or vision of the event
• Vendors making things more difficult than they have to be if they don’t respect the planner
• Wrong items or service being delivered due to lack of checks and balances beforehand
• No prior event run-through leading to poor execution on the event day

Many other issues can occur, but something that Borcoman has seen happen is vendors making life more difficult for planners they do not like or respect for one reason or another.

“I was second to another event lead that rode her vendors very hard. She accounted for every single penny and held them accountable for every single word they said. She was constantly trying to hold them accountable by proving she doesn’t miss a beat,” Borcoman said. “She also over communicated with them which made them feel distrusted and that she believed they weren’t competent enough to do their jobs. All along the way, mistakes happened or vendors made life more difficult.”

As a result, the vendors avoided conversations with her and certainly didn’t go above and beyond to try to impress her. They wanted the event to be done and over with. That kind of attitude led to other issues, stifled creativity and undue stress on all parties.

“Communicating to vendors is key, but so is trusting that they are professionals in their field and not insulting their intelligence,” added Borcoman.

Dooley recommended corporate planners go into planning with a long view of relationships and get to know the vendor, their team and the individuals with whom they are working. Understand how the vendor defines success, how the mechanics of their business works and how they create value. See how that fits into the bigger picture of your business and your client’s needs — and then engage them how and when it makes sense.

“Define and share the needs and objectives of each event as clearly as possible before engaging, and then be ready for it all to change,” Dooley advised planners. “Establish the channels and expectations for direct, open and timely communication, so the planner can manage through the changes with partners in lockstep.”

It’s also a good idea for planners to bring vendors in behind the scenes with them, and expect them to do the same, as you cannot effectively manage people who are kept at arms’ length.

Regardless of the size of the event being planned, technological tools such as Microsoft Lists can help meeting and event planners keep track of vendors and their information plus all communications with them.

As Borcoman explained, Microsoft Lists is basically an elevated Excel list that can be accessed easily through an app and by everyone on the team. She primarily uses this tech tool for her firm’s own internal tracking, so that she shares her personal cell to ensure that the vendors can get a hold of her whenever needed.

The team at SDI Meetings & Incentives rely heavily on their event database and registration tools to capture, analyze and report on event details, in support of providing accurate and timely information to their vendors. Specs, attendee data, changes and movements are all captured within the shared system, so the meeting planning team always has the most current information to share with partners.

“Whether one uses Cvent, STOVA or another system, we are better able to manage resources and work with partners — from arrival and departure manifests, to flight booking and tracking, to food and beverage commitments and hotel room block pick-up and more,” Dooley said.

Future Partnerships

Especially over the last few years, the relationship between event vendors and corporate planners were tested and proven in the most demanding environments. Those now thriving on the other side leaned into what has always been critical — the strategic value of partnerships, the importance of mutual success and the imperative of creativity and tenacity.

As Dooley noted, meetings are now more prolific than ever. For that reason, planners and vendors are tasked to do more, more efficiently and more nimbly. These relationships are evolving — building on what has always been true.

“We find the partners who share our passion, we ally with them to create the best solutions, and the whole becomes greater than the sum of its parts,” Dooley said. “We are expecting more from each other, because our clients are — in results, transparency, communication and give and take across projects.” To deliver more, both meeting planners and vendors are challenging norms and “the way things have always worked” mentality. Instead, they are choosing solutions with the clearest value, and sometimes there are new ones.

“Planners keep a portfolio of trusted partners to match with the best fit for the goals and needs of each client and each event,” Dooley said. “The net are meetings and events that more effectively support the goals of the organization and create more engaging and memorable experiences for attendees.”

Of course, managing event vendors has been a core component of event planning for decades and will continue to be a vital component of future corporate meetings and events. Borcoman expects that technology will evolve the way event professionals plan and communicate with vendors, but she hopes the personal relationships and personal touch don’t disappear.

“As much as I love tech and efficiency tools, nothing changes the dynamic of a vendor/event planner relationship as much as personal touch. Clarity can be found in contracts, diagrams and run of shows, but never disregard the power of personal relationships,” Borcoman concluded. “At the end of the day, events are a production, and the team putting it together is one big family. We have to work together for the common goal, no matter what it takes to get there.” C&IT